Since 1992, NCL has tracked trends in scams by collecting complaints from consumers—first via a toll-free hotline, and now at Fraud.org. The consumer group provides direct counseling to victims and relays reports daily to more than 90 law enforcement and consumer protection agencies in the United States and Canada, including the Federal Trade Commission, state Attorneys General, and police departments. For 20 years, Fraud.org has been one of the nation’s premier resources for consumers to learn about and report Internet and telemarketing scams.

“We are proud to debut the new and improved Fraud.org, an invaluable tool in the fight against fraud,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Because we track data as provided to us directly from consumers, Fraud.org is able to identify trends in emerging scams and deliver crucial information to consumer protection professionals and law enforcement to help them bring con artists to justice.”

“Stopping fraud is one of the most important ways that the FTC improves consumers’ lives. The FTC’s Consumer Sentinel complaint database is a critical tool in that fight, but its success relies on contributors like the National Consumers League,” said FTC Commissioner Maureen K. Ohlhausen. “NCL has greatly added to the FTC database’s volume and diversity and its new and improved Fraud.org no doubt will further strengthen our partnership in the ongoing fight against fraud.”

Fraud remains a widespread problem, costing Americans billions of dollars annually. The growing epidemic of data breaches plaguing American businesses and consumers prompted the watchdog group to enhance its resources for education and prevention. NCL also publishes a bi-weekly email newsletter, The #DataInsecurity Digest, focused on breach news, policy, and advocacy.

“Fraud.org’s new ‘Data Breach HQ’ is the culmination of years of work on our #DataInsecurity project. Until now, we’d been focused on keeping policymakers and advocates informed about the data breach epidemic and our call for improved security and regulations,” said John Breyault, NCL vice president of public policy, telecommunications, and fraud. “With the new site’s special section on data breaches, we’ve brought need-to-know information to consumers—alerts about the latest breaches and their implications, information about how to avoid identity theft, and more.”

Through a complete overhaul of its design, the new Fraud.org will make it easier for consumers to find the information they need to avoid scams. In addition to the new data breach portal, the new site includes easy access to monthly fraud alerts identifying emerging scams, tips on identifying and avoiding common scams, and an improved form for reporting incidents of fraud.

“With new scams popping up every day, there is a greater need than ever for reliable information to help consumers spot the scams and avoid becoming a fraud victim statistic,” said Breyault. “We aim to make Fraud.org a go-to resource for consumers so they can find the information they need to avoid the daily onslaught of fraudulent tricks and traps.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.